Friend Or Enemy?
by Lyra Heartstrings or Tuquorise
Summary: Team Excalibur travels to USA for a long-term vacation. What if an old enemy of theirs tries to steal Sophie's heart? WalesXSophieXDamian love triangle. If you hate this love triangle, don't leave hate comments. You've been warned. Takes place in Zero-G timeline.
1. Chapter 1

Friend or Enemy? (Chapter 1)

**Alright guys, before you start flaming the story, let me get this straight. Yes, this is a love triangle, but please, don't start arguments just because you hate the love triangle. Everybody has their own opinion, and you can't force everyone to like what you like. Fanfiction is a place for everyone to share their stories with, and not a place to hate everyone.**

**Description says it all. If you don't like the love triangle, don't give flames, unless it's criticism. Thank you all very much for your coöperation.**

**I don't own anything! **

The sky was pitch black. Stars were twinkling like polished diamonds in the sky, and the moon illuminated the cement path.

It was eleven, and almost everyone had gone to bed.

Everyone except one.

Shuffling her feet, Sophie quickened her steps. She did not want to be out so late, especially at a foreign country which she knew very little about.

As a fully grown adult, she has grown taller and stronger in beybattling. The team was staying at USA for a long-term holiday. Sophie claimed that she wanted to go for a short night walk, which ended up becoming a one full hour late night walk. She had been dating Wales for a few months already.

As soon as Sophie stumbled across a dark alleyway, she had an idea on how to reach the hotel faster – taking a shortcut. Even though she knew it was dangerous, she did not want to make her friends worry about her,

The shadows fell dark on Sophie as she walked cautiously, her head pricking up in suspicion whenever she heard the slightest sound. Hands in pockets, she squeezed her palm so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Suddenly, Sophie spotted a gloomy figure walking towards her. Sophie panicked and tried to run for it, when the figure grasped her arm tightly.

The figure had spiky shy blue hair, a lime green tinted fringe and piercing gray eyes. She need not look at his outfit. She knew who he is, and she didn't like him.

Not the least bit.

"Long time no see, lass."

"Damian… what do you want?" Sophie asked suspiciously, with a hint of quiver in her voice.

"My apologies, I might have scared you." He replied in a mocking voice. Damian had grown a lot taller than the last time they've met, maybe an inch taller than Sophie. His voice also got deeper.

"How's life treated you, huh? From the looks of it, the answer's obvious."

"And what does that supposed to mean?"

Damian sighed. "Never mind, I'll just come straight to the point." He cornered Sophie and she winced a little. He smirked rather darkly and kissed her on the lips.

Sophie's eyes widened as she tried to break the kiss, but Damian was too strong, grasping on her tighter every time she struggled. Finally, she relaxed as she allowed his tongue to enter her mouth and explore.

After what seemed like an eternity, they finally parted for air, leaving a trail of saliva.

Damian took a breath before saying "That was fun, wasn't it?"

Sophie was too shocked for words. She dashed out of the alleyway to the main street, a stag of guilt overwhelmed her as she allowed her tears to flow freely.

She felt like a traitor.

**Umm, how'd you think I'd fair? Good? Terrible? This is the first time I'd write about a kissing scene. I hope I did well enough to impress you guys.**


	2. Chapter 2

Friend or Enemy? (Chapter 2)

"Where have you been? Everyone's worried about you!" Julian chided Sophie as she reached the hotel lobby.

Sophie shrugged her shoulders nervously. "Sorry. I... kind of…um… lost track of time."

"Even so, you know perfectly well that it's not safe wandering on the streets on a foreign country late at night. Wales got so worried about you that he almost insisted to search for you!"

"I… I'm sorry! Really! Can I go back to my room? I'm really tired and I need to rest." Sophie pleaded in a tired voice.

"Alright then. Remember, we are going to train tomorrow, and go for a break in the evening. It's going to be a long day tomorrow, so get enough rest." Sophie nodded impatiently in approval before rushing to the lifts.

…

That night, Sophie tossed and turned in her soft bed. No matter how much she tried to wash Damian out of her mind, he stubbornly remained in her mind, refusing to leave her alone.

Finally, she got up and stormed to the bathroom. Slamming the door open roughly, Sophie hastily turned on the sink tap and splashed water on her face repeatedly. Soon, her pajamas, the sink and the mirror were soaking wet.

Sophie breathed heavily, water droplets trickled down her cheeks to her chin, finally dripping on the floor or either her dedicate lace pajamas. She felt so confused. She felt like strangling Damian. How dare he…!

Not bothering to dry up, she dumped herself into bed, snuggling her head under the soft pillow.

…

The icy night air sent shivers down her spine. Sophie lost her friends in the sea of people. Now, she did not know where or what to do. She even forgot to bring her mobile phone along.

Walking aimlessly around the lonely and deserted streets, Sophie sat down, resting her back on the wall. It has been three hours since she got lost. Tears threatened to spill out from her dark emerald eyes. She buried her face between her knees and started sobbing softly.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps, but she never even bothered to look up. Soon whoever made those footsteps stopped right in front of Sophie. There was an awkward silence between them. When she said nothing, the person decided to break the silence.

"Lost, eh? Are you just gonna sit here and do nothing?" A _very _familiar voice spoke. Maybe too familiar.

Lifting her head gingerly, she squirmed her eyes, allowing excess tears to flow down her cheeks and stain her snow white pants.

"W-what do you want?" Sophie asked in a tearful voice.

"Whoa, chill out lass. I'm just concerned about ya. Crying doesn't help."

"Your point is…"

"Hmm… why don't ya stay at my place for the time being? Think about it. You don't wanna sleep on the streets and make people think you're a… you know." Damian offered while shrugging his shoulders restlessly.

Sophie gasped softly. A wave of emotions rushed through her body. A part of her wanted to follow him to his place, the other wanted to reject the offer.

Even so, Damian made a good point. She did not want to sleep on the streets and make others think she was a beggar or a homeless girl on the run.

After a few minutes, Sophie inhaled deeply, mustering all her courage and replied: "Yes."

Damian looked a little surprised. "I thought you'd reject the offer, but anyways, follow me back."

He turned and walked down the cement path. Sophie gingerly got up to her feet and tailed along.

She had already accepted the offer. There was no turning back now.

_I wondered if I made the right decision. _Sophie thought as she took another huge breath to calm down.


	3. Chapter 3

Friend or enemy? (Chapter 3)

The duo arrived at a small multi-storey flat. It had not more than five floors. The paint looked worn out and the colour was wearing off. The windows were coated with a thin layer of dust. The rent here must be _really_ cheap.

Damian was living at the top floor. They took the stairs up. He told Sophie that the elevator frequently breaks down, so she was advised to avoid using the elevator. When they reached at the apartment he was staying, he fumbled with the keys, sometimes using the wrong key or fitting the key in the wrong keyhole.

"This always happens. Keys can be annoying sometimes."

Sophie giggled in amusement. The apartment was located at the corner, and the neighbours were day sleepers, so Sophie thought that she wouldn't be disturbed during her stay.

Finally, Damian was able to unlock the steel lock that was used to lock the gates. They stepped inside. It was a simple, two storey room apartment. After removing their shoes, she explored the place. There was a living room, a bedroom and a bathroom. Sophie spotted the kitchen, but it looked like hardly anybody used it.

Sophie realised that there was only one bedroom, and there was two of them. Where they going to share rooms?

"Umm...where am I staying for the night?" Sophie asked politely.

"You'll be using the bedroom. I'll sleep in the living room." Damian replied.

"B-but you don't even have a couch. Are you going to sleep on the floor just like that?"

"I'll use a blanket to sleep on."

"Umm... alright then."

**…**

_With a groan, Sophie got up to her feet. She realised that she wasn't in Damian's apartment anymore. The place she was in supposedly had hardly rained here, with temperatures likely exceeding forty degrees Celsius. The ground looked vast and dry, hardly supporting any life. The ground was made up of light red sand and cliffs of all sizes were seen everywhere._

"_Where...where am I?" Sophie thought aloud as she looked around frantically. Suddenly, she heard the stomping of an animal's footsteps. Sophie freaked out and dashed to the nearest hiding spot she could find - under a pile of rocks. However, the animal managed to sniff out her presence. It unleashed its chains and knocked out the rocks. Sophie covered her head using her hands. Now she could have a full view of the animal._

_It was none other than the gatekeeper of Hades, Kerbecs. It glared at Sophie with its gleaming, evil red eyes. Its mouth contained balls of blazing fire, and its chains ready to slash at anybody or anything._

_Kerbecs suddenly whipped Sophie with its long, golden metal screamed in pain before landing on the sand with a sickening thud. Before Sophie could recover from her ordeal, it kept lashing its chains at her without mercy. She screamed again as she curled herself in a ball. Tears has begun to flow out of her dark emerald eyes. Blood began oozing out of freshly made wounds. _

_As soon as Kerbecs stopped Sophie heard a deep, evil chuckle. She gingerly tilted her head up to see Damian floating in midair._

"_Do it, Kerbecs." He ordered calmly as Kerbecs sank its fangs into Sophie's body..._

Sophie shrieked as her dark emerald eyes snapped wide open. She was breathing heavily, sweat soaking her clothes. Did she... just saw what she just saw? She begun to doubt whether Damian could be trusted or not.

As she stepped out of her room, she saw a sticky note attached on the dining table. The note stated: _If you are wondering where I am, I'm off to 'earn some money'. You can do whatever you want, just don't mess up the place._

After washing up, Sophie wanted to prepare breakfast, but realised that Damian didn't store any groceries. Luckily, there was some plain bread and packet drinks to have for breakfast. At least she was going to starve.

**…**

"What do you mean you didn't saw her? I thought she was right beside you all along!" Julian shouted.

"How'd you think I know? Didn't you even noticed she was missing before we reached the hotel?" Wales argued back. Sophie was missing and everyone was freaking out. They couldn't even contact her, as she didn't bring her mobile along. Who knows what will happen to Sophie when she's all alone?

"How are we going to find her when we can't contact her? Do a search around this city?" Klaus asked.

"Yes! That's what we'll do! We will split the city into three sectors. Each of us search a sector." Wales instructed.

His teammates nodded in approval. Not a bad suggestion. With determined expressions on their faces, they headed off on their own to search for their missing friend.

**…**

Wales had never been so worried in all of his life before. His beloved had now disappeared without a trace. She could be anywhere! He couldn't imagine what would happen to her. Getting run down by a car? Get kidnapped? Get sold into slavery?

The more Wales thought about it, the more intense he got. Somehow he had to find Sophie, no matter what it takes.

Even if it meant putting his life at risk.


	4. Chapter 4

Friend Or Enemy? (Chapter 4)

The burning afternoon sun beat down mercilessly beneath the bustling city. Temperatures ranged from thirty to thirty seven degrees Celsius. It was really warm.

Wiping her sweat with a tissue, Sophie fanned herself by flapping her hands repeatedly in front of her face. The heat was unbearable. Not to mention the heat, it was dull and boring in the apartment. There was no entertainment, not even a television to watch.

_It's just so boring in here! _Sophie thought to herself, pacing the small living room for fifteen minutes already. Surely there must be something that she could be engaged in to kill time. Her eyes glued to the door. A walk? It's so hot outside, but she was bored out of her mind! _Alright. Just take a walk, a short walk will do._

Sophie headed to put on her shoes before heading to the door.

...

She did it again - turning short walks into super long walks - and getting into trouble. Let's just say - she got lost, again.

Sophie got distracted easily, thus drifting off track and ended up standing in the middle of a foreign street. Plus, it was getting dark. Who knows what dangers lurk around her? The more she thought of it, the more frightened she became.

Suddenly, a raindrop landed on her head. "Huh? Is it...raining?" Sophie wondered aloud. As soon as she finished her sentence, heavy rain began to pour down from dark grey storm clouds. Just her luck. Even so, she had to get back to Damian's apartment. _He might get worr- no, no! Why are you thinking that, Sophie? Maybe he'll just plump himself on his blankets to sleep. He just offered you a place to stay for the time being._

Sophie continued on her endless walk around the empty streets. It had been almost four hours since she got lost, her surroundings were almost pitch black (except for the street lamps). Rain continued to pour heavily flooding the streets. Sophie shivered violently when a chilly breeze blew. She was hungry, tired and freezing. Oh, where can she find shelter?

Unable to take it anymore, Sophie's body chosed to shut down. she collapsed on the floor, splashing rain water everywhere. The water was an ankle-deep, and it might probably get worse._ Get up Sophie, get up! You can't sleep on the streets!_ However, her muscles were completely worn out; she didn't have the strength to stand up.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps and splashing of water. It wasn't just one or two people who were making the noise, it was around half a dozen of people. _Run, Sophie, run! It might be gangsters_. _You might get hurt - or kidnapped! _Naturally, Sophie lay on the ground, eyelids shut.

Sophie felt the strangers surrounding her like a pack of wolves surrounding a defenceless rabbit. She thought she heard sniggers. Just as the strangers were about to carry her up, she heard the sound of a bey zipping towards the strangers.

"Kerbecs, Hades Drive!"

Shrilling and shouting could be heard as the strangers tried to escape. However, Kerbecs managed to catch up with them, surrounding them and circling around them faster and faster. Soon Sophie could feel the heat from the special move crested by Kerbecs. However, she had a doubt. _No way! How can Kerbecs perform it's special move ON WATER? There is no friction! How'd he...?_

Sophie's thoughts were cut short when she felt Damian carrying her on the back. _Why is he...helping me? _She had so many questions going on through her head, but let it slip as she fell asleep on his back, snuggling under his remaining body warmth.

...

Wales stared at the window covered in raindrops. They failed to find Sophie; worst of all, she even forgot to bring her _beyblade _along. He knew that she did not have any defence and could not stop worrying about her. Who knows what sort of trouble she would get into?

Klaus noticed his friend's distress and walked towards him. "Still worrying about her, eh?" Wales snapped. "What does it seems like then?" He shifted his body away from Klaus, obviously not wanting to talk to anybody at the moment. The Capricorn blader sighed, before saying, "Look, it's no use getting your brains in a twist. What can you do now? At least go back to sleep; rejuvenate yourself for tomorrow so we can search for Sophie again. How'd that sounds like?" Wales thought for a while before nodding reluctantly. Klaus's face lit up. "That's the spirit old buddy!"

...

By the time the duo reached the apartment, it was around eleven. Damian just gave a swift kick on the gate with his left leg. He placed Sophie on a chair, tool out a towel from the bathroom and threw it at her direction. Sophie dried her soaked hair and clothes.

She realised that Damian was staring at her. "What are you staring at me for?" He rolled his eyes and huffed, "What do you think you're doing in the middle of a night storm? Do you even realise what you were doing? was dangerous?" Sophie blushed a little. "You really sound like an overprotective mother, you know. Besides, it was so boring in here!" _Does he actually... care about me? I thought he was toying with me! _It was all so confusing. However, Sophie had a question. "How were you able to perform your special move on water, huh?"

Damian seemed offended. "I trained, of course! I did not spend my day hanging around at alleyways and doing odd jobs!"

There was an awkward silence between them. Sophie decided that it was time for her to go to bed. "I'm going to bed now. Goodnight."

"Err... good...night?" _Wait! What the hell did you reply back! Damian, you're so stupid! _Blushing madly, Damian covered his flushed face beneath the covers.


	5. Chapter 5

Friend Or Enemy? (Chapter 5)

**Recently NoFace(Guest) has been requesting for Jack to appear in the story. He IS appearing in the later chapters, don't worry. However, he is just a minor character in the story. Yeah, Wales is starting to become crazy...**

**WARNING: Now, this chapter will explain to you why this has a teen rating. Some parts of the story might be uncomfortable for some readers.**

The shrilling from the alarm clock jolted Wales awake. His body and pyjamas were all drenched in sweat. He inhaled and exhaled heavily, taking his time to recall the events that happened during the past few days. Suddenly, he shot out of his bed, zoomed to the bathroom to have a quick wash up before rushing out to the hallways and knocked on his teammates hotel doors vigorously.

"Hey, heyheyheyheyheyheyheyhey! Wake up you sleepyheads! Get your lazy butts outta bed!" Wales hollered to his friends who were still in the rooms. Klaus, who was the first one to get dressed up and ready, slammed his room door open, unfortunately, hitting Wales in his face.

Wales rubbed his sore nose, before yelling at Klaus, "What in the hell was that for?" Klaus looked dumbfounded, "What? You were the one who called me out!" Klaus lamented.

"Ha! I was waking you up!"

"You don't have to scream like some sort of insane person who has just escaped from the mental hospital!"

"What did you call me?!"

"What's the commotion about?!" A sharp voice interrupted the quarreling adults, who were giving each other knife like glares. They soon stopped when they heard Julian lashing out at them to shut up, their faces turning red as tomatoes in embarrassment.

"You're both acting like little kids! Such a disappointment!" Julian shook his head in disapproval. Klaus rubbed the back of their head while Wales whistled a tune, rolling his eyes up to the ceiling. This only made Julian more pissed. "Look, stop fooling around! This is not an amusement park! Plus, we also have to search for Sophie after breakfast, am I right?"

"Oh yes! Hurry up! The earlier we eat breakfast, the more time we have to search for Sophie! Come on! What are you waiting for, Christmas? Let's gooooo!" Wales urged as he dashed down the hallways to the lift lobby, with his friends tailing along.

They reached the restaurant shortly. Trays of different arrays of food were placed neatly in straight rows on a long table which was covered in fine silk. Customers were seated at the tables which were decorated with a flower vase in the middle, and a single piece of snow white silk covering the tabletop, eating their food with forks and knives. some customers were using the steel grippers to pick their food from the trays to their glass plates. There was lively chatter amongst the customers.

The gang found a four seater table to sit down. "Hey, buddy. Reserve this table for us, kay?" Wales just muttered a short 'yes'. Klaus shrugged, before leaving to get his food. Wales crossed his arms and legs, slouching on the cushioned chair. Life just wasn't the same without Sophie. Everyday, he couldn't stop thinking about her, finding her, assuring his beloved that everything was okay.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he did not notice his friends approaching him. "Hey buddy! Watcha daydreaming about! Get your breakfast already!" Klaus said. Wales snapped out of his thoughts and stumbled out of his seat and get his breakfast.

**…**

With a yawn, Sophie fluttered her eyelids open. Rays of sunlight leaked into the dusty glass window. She stretched her arms. What a night she went through yesterday. She scrambled out of bed, went to the bathroom to wash up, like any other normal day. After she came out of the bathroom, she saw another sticky note attached on the dining table, and a short pile of books beside it. It stated: _I have bought some books for you to kill time. That's all I can provide. PLEASE don't leave the apartment unless necessarily and get into trouble. _

Sophie giggled uncomfortably. Of course she had learnt her lesson. Besides, at least she has some books to keep her company right now. She wasn't much of a bookworm. However, there was nothing to do at the moment. So might as well read. She sat on the chair.

Sophie picked up her first book. The cover was a light shade of gray. The cover picture was a view of a raindrop stained window. Out of the window was a very faint rainbow, with some storm clouds coveringit. On the top of the window pane, the title of the book was written in gold letters: _The rainbow that never was._ Curiosity got the better of her as she flipped open the cover to come across a snow white page with the title of the book in at the centre in black. Flipping to the next page, small italic font letters in the centre: _To Paul, who taught me the true meaning of life._

**…**

It was almost night when Sophie was at the last chapter. She couldn't tear her eyes off the pages. The story scenes playing in her mind.

_Janet tried her best to dry her tears that were flowing continuously out of her amber brown eyes, sniffing softly. She could not hide from her father's gaze, which was as cold as ice._

_Janet winced. Her father's gaze turned from a harsh to a soft one. He bend down and patted her daughter's head. "No need to fear, dear Janet. Your daddy's here." However, the teenager did not seem convinced. Her father sighed deeply and continued, "Look, I know you hate me, but please, forgive me, won't you. Let's start afresh and live in peace. Deal?"_

_Gingerly, Janet lifted her head to gaze into his father's light brown orbs. She squeezed her eyes shut, mustering up all her courage and finally spoke, "I'm so sorry! I missed you so much daddy!" Her father embraced his daughter in his arms. After some time, they break the hug. _

"_Let's go home, alright?" Janet nodded vigorously in agreement, wiping a final tear that somehow managed to escape from her eyes._

With a sigh, Sophie closed the book. It was an interesting pick, alright. She leaned back, satisfaction written all over her face. She managed to past time-without getting into any sort of trouble. Just as she was about to pick up her second book, she had another thought. _Why not read your second book tomorrow? _Sophie got up from her seat and went to the kitchens to prepare dinner. Though there weren't much foodstuff to make dinner with, at least she would able to fill up her empty stomach with _something._

**…**

"Excuse me. Have you seen this lady?" Wales asked a stranger, flashing out a photo of Sophie. As usual, he shook his head and continued his way. Wales sighed. It was a tiring search, and it was already dark. The moon was glowing faintly, illuminating the ground beneath it. Stars were twinkling softly. The streets looked almost deserted. Another fruitless search. Dragging his feet, he made his way back to the hotel.

On his way back, he thought he felt someone following him. He wasn't sure, but he was a little bit frightened. Stuffing his hands in pockets, he started walking faster. However, there were no sounds of any footsteps picking up pace. Maybe his minds were playing tricks on him. After all that stress and worry about Sophie.

Suddenly, Wales's sharp eyes noticed a shadow at an alleyway. He rubbed his eyes and shook his head like a dog that had just emerged from a swimming pool. The shadow was gone. Wales grunted in annoyance as he hit his head. _Stop it! It's all your imagination! S_top _getting freaked out! _Wales inhaled deeply, counted to ten, before exhaling. Somehow, he felt much calmer, as if he was breathing out all his stress and worries.

Soon, Wales reached the hotel. His friends were already waiting patiently for him at the hotel lobby. "So... any luck finding her?" Klaus asked. Wales sighed as he shook his head in disapproval. "Nope. I couldn't find her. Where in the world is she anyway?"

"Woah, calm down my friend. Just because you can't find her means that the world is going to end! Relax... in most cases, missing people are found like.. a week or two." Julian assured Wales as he placed a hand on his teammate's shoulder.

"I hope so." Wales replied in a query voice.

**…**

Midnight has fallen. The apartment was deathly quiet, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. In the only bedroom of the apartment, Sophie was fast asleep in bed. Though she wasn't a heavy sleeper, one could tell that she was having peaceful dreams. She snuggled under the warmth of the soft covers, with a small smile forming on her face.

However, her peace was rudely interrupted when someone barged into her room sloppily. He held his hands on his forehead, as he had a headache, his body terribly weak. He just slumped into Sophie's bed, startling her. Sophie was frozen for a moment. She knew clearly who it was, as there were only two people staying at the apartment-Damian.

Damian hugged her by the waist, shifting her closer to his chest. He did not reek of much alcohol. So, if he wasn't drunk, what would cause him to act like that? Maybe his drink was drugged in a nightclub? Maybe he got an illness that causes his body to go limp?

Sophie felt a warm pair of lips come into contact with hers. A tongue darting inside her mouth and exploring it. Soon, she felt him kiss her neck. When he bit her soft spot, she let out a moan. Sophie was too tired to protest. Instead, she felt pleasure. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer to her, wrapping her legs around him. Overwhelmed with bliss, Sophie drifted off to a light slumber, letting Damian do his job.

**Please, before you start commenting "What the hell did I just read?!" I'll just reply politely to you: "You have just read a fanfic. Nothing to fuss about." **


	6. Chapter 6

Friend Or Enemy? (Chapter 6)

**Update! Finally!**

**Read author's note at the bottom, thank you.**

Sophie woke up groggily at the break of dawn. Somehow she felt her body was a little bit... strange this morning. Looking around, she realized that her bedroom was in a huge mess. The blanket was sprawled on the floor, and a water bottle dropped off the tabletop, spilling water all over the floor. To sum it all up, pens and pencils were all over the place.

_Who knew that Damian keeps so much stationary? _Sophie thought as she tip toed over them. Somehow, she felt…different. She didn't know how to explain, but _different_... yeah... you get the picture.

Walking to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, she sighed. her friends must be really worried about her, since she has been missing for more than two weeks.

Sophie was sure that her friends will find her, she was sure of that.

**…**

Around four to six weeks later, Sophie was seated at the wooden dining table eating lunch. On her plate, there was her favourite potatoes. Even though they were stale and not that fresh, at least it was still food, and Damian has been financially tight now. When she plopped the potato in her mouth, her face crumpled and rushed to the sink to puke.

_That was so weird._

Sophie walked to the dining table and dumped the potato away, as there was no point in keeping it since she would puke when she ate it. Instead, she made herself anchovies with chili. When she ate it, it was surprisingly good. The weird thing was that Sophie hated anchovies and spicy food.

Besides that, she'd been getting frequent headaches, stomach aches and cramps. Sophie decided to consult a doctor, but there was no way she could afford the medical fees. So, she decided to find a cure by herself.

Sophie headed to the nearest bookstore. It wasn't all that crowded, just a few customers browsing books. She immediately started to flip through books about health and medicine.

_No, no, no, no, no! Ugh, what is causing me all those cramps, stomach aches, headaches and my loss of appetite? There must be a reason for this!_

Nonetheless, Sophie continued her research until evening. She felt very tired. It was so strange, she only felt tired during nine o'clock at night. Just as she was about to give up, her eyes laid on a particular section. She got hooked and read until she finished it.

By the time she finished reading, she placed the book back to its shelf and headed back home.

**…**

"Oh please, I beg of you. Please, may the results be negative." Sophie prayed silently while sitting at the toilet. Finally, the results were out. She took a few deep breaths before reading the results. As her eyes laid on them, she gasped as she dropped the pregnancy test kit.

_I can't believe it. No, this can't be true. It just can't be! _

Sophie was pregnant-which was something she least expected. However, who was the father? It couldn't be Wales, as she was six weeks pregnant, and it has been ten weeks since she last saw him. This could only mean one thing-Damian was the father.

Sophie began to pour her heart out. She knew that she had just cheated on her boyfriend, betrayed her teammates and brought shame to herself. What should she do now? Should she keep the baby, or abort it? If she aborted it, she could return back to her teammates, return back to her boyfriend and save her face. If she kept it, she would have to leave her teammates and lose almost everything she once had. It was so tough to choose-this is a life we are talking about here.

_I think I may have to keep it. Abortion is murder, and I'm not a heartless person._ Sophie thought to herself. Yes, she always thought that abortion was murder. The babies are just too innocent to have their lives taken away by selfish desires of their parents.

When Sophie returned to the apartment, she immediately locked herself up in her room after having a quick dinner. She wanted to see less of Damian, as looking at him just made her felt guilty. Sooner afterwards, her womb would show, and Sophie knew that she couldn't keep her secret forever.

She just had to tell him at some point, but the big question is-how?

**…**

It had been ten weeks. Approximately ten weeks since Sophie mysteriously went missing, and Wales had almost lost hope in finding her. They hadn't got a single clue about her whereabouts, and asking the people weren't helping at all.

"Looks like we're going to stay here until Sophie is found, aren't we?" Julian said, sighing. They had to check into a cheaper hotel, much to Julian's displeasure.

"Yeah, but we've tried everything we could to find Sophie. What did we get in return? Nothing!" Klaus lamented. Wales was too upset to complain.

"Look, what choice do we have? This is our fellow friend we're talking about now! If we are going to stay here for the rest of our lives, it's just the way it has to be." Julian said, his tone turning dead serious.

"It's obvious, isn't it? We're staying until Sophie is found. Enough said." Wales added a hint of sadness in his voice. Klaus sighed and nodded in approval.

"Alright then, if it has to be this way."

**…**

Sophie peeked through a small opening through her bedroom door. Damian had just returned from work, his face stressed and exhausted. Somehow, Sophie couldn't help but notice guilt in his gray eyes. He must be the answer to her case of having a child at wedlock. However, she didn't have the courage to.

However, the time will arrive when she would have to tell him. Oh, how Sophie wished that all this never happened!

_Is this all my fault? My friends, Damian, the baby..._

**…**

Sophie knew that she couldn't hide her secret anymore. Five months have passed, and her womb was beginning to show. She was only able to hide it by locking herself in her room after seven o'clock in the night, and only coming out after 8 o'clock in the morning. Sophie's only sparks of entertainment were her books. She read them numerous times. So many until she was able to memorize the lines of the books. Her child kept her company by kicking, and oh boy, that kid was strong.

Sophie's frequent mood swings and cramps are making her feel very uncomfortable. As much as she yearned for someone to take care of her, she knew that it was impossible. How were her friends going to accept her when she's expecting their most dreaded enemy's child?

Twirling her fingers on the dining table, Sophie sat on a wooden chair, lost in thought. How was she going to tell Damian about all this?

Besides, all the thinking consumed Sophie's energy, making her fall fast asleep on the table.

Fifteen minutes later, Damian returned from work. It was a tiresome day, and he needed some rest. As he stepped foot into the apartment, he saw Sophie sleeping on the dining table. Damian could not help but giggle at how cute Sophie is when she sleeps. He gave a sigh, and carried her to her bedroom to rest.

As he laid her on the bed, he had the shock of his life.

_W-what?! When the hell did that... that happened?! _(I don't need to explain 'what'.) _Err... what am I supposed to do?! Abandon her, or take care of her? What the hell am I supposed to do?!_

Damian knew he had to choose wisely-if he chooses the wrong one-he would regret it for the rest of his life. After much consideration, he sighed.

_I am so sorry, Sophie. If you hate me in the near future, I deserve it..._

**…**

It has been two months since Sophie found out that Damian left her. She was heartbroken at first, she kept on weeping at her pillow for days, refusing to emerge out of her room. When the landlady came and demanded for rent, she pitied Sophie, who was crying her heart out. After Sophie explained everything to the landlady, she decided not to collect rent from her until she finds a stable job and earned enough money to pay rent.

Seven month pregnant Sophie was returning back home after buying the groceries she was running low on. It was a humid afternoon. The heat that was emitting from the sun beat down on her. She was perspiring profusely. She wanted to return home quickly so that she can get a shower.

However, Sophie failed to notice her friends were at the same city as her, searching for her. Unfortunately for Sophie, Julian's eyes, which were as sharp as a hawk, spotted Sophie for afar.

"Hey, Wales! I found Sophie!"

"What?! Where?!"

"Over there!"

Sophie's sharp ears detected her friend's voices. She dumped her groceries on the ground and made a dash, her friends hot on her heels. She knew that

Knowing the city at the back of her hand, Sophie managed to spot a shortcut back to the apartment-an alleyway. She took a sharp turn and hid under the shadows.

"Darn it! Where is she? We were so close!" Klaus shouted, punching the air.

"Why would Sophie run away from us...? Why?" Wales said in disbelief.

"Wales, did you... just took a good look at Sophie?" Julian asked, a tingle of worry in his voice.

"W-what do you mean?"

Julian sighed, "If I tell you, you must really really, really promise me not to freak out. Alright."

Wales nodded absentmindedly.

"Sophie is... pregnant."

Wales jaw dropped. _What?! Did she just cheated on me? B-but why would she do that?! It's... impossible!_

**…**

Sophie sighed in relief when her friends couldn't find her. She turned to leave, when she knocked on someone and fell.

"Ouch..." Sophie groaned, before getting up to her feet.

"What...? OH MY GOD! How many months?! With wales?! Whatcha gonna name the baby?! Is it a boy or girl?! Are you-"

"Alright! Enough with the questions! You're driving me crazy Mister whoever you are... Jack? What in the name of...?

"Hello there, Sophie! Long time no see! What are you doing here when you're in this state, huh? Aren't you supposed to be resting at home, do-"

"Cut the crap, Jack. I thought you should be obsessing over art."

"Do you really think that I focus on that 24/7?!" Jack replied, annoyed.

Sophie rolled her eyes, "Well, yeah. You're a psycho who loves art more than anything in the world." She replied sarcastically.

"Well, yeah. I was one, but I'm an adult already. Plus, my arrangement days were long over, so I'm not all that obsessed with art anymore."

"Thank goodness." Sophie sighed in relief. "By the way, are you in contact with Damian anymore?"

Jack thought for a while, before shaking his head, "Nope, haven't seen him after the world championships."

Sophie's head bowed down in defeat, her eyes dull, "Never mind. But, if you _ever _stumble upon my friends, DON'T tell them where I am, or tell them that I'm pregnant. Promise?"

Jack couldn't resist Sophie's innocent eyes. "Alright. I promise."

"Thank you so much!" Sophie cried delightfully as she hugged Jack. Jack was stiff for a moment, but lightly hugged her back.

After a few seconds, Sophie broke the hug, "Well, I should be heading back now, and hopefully my friends won't spot me. Thanks again!"

"Umm... thanks?"

**I apologize if I am rushing this story, because other than Sophie's boring life in the apartment and her friends trying to find her, there is nothing interesting to write about. Ah, Noface(Guest), I think you're glad that Jack is here.**

**I lost my inspiration flame, but now it's back! Hopefully this story will get better along the way. Please leave feedback, even if it's just a few words. :)**


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